CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tensha Therapeutics, a privately-held company based in Cambridge, MA,
announced today it will be acquired by Roche. Founded by James E.
Bradner, MD, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and managed and funded
by HealthCare Ventures, Tensha has developed a pioneering epigenetic
technology that disrupts bromodomain and extra terminal domain (BET)
proteins in order to develop potential treatments for cancer. The lead
product, TEN-010, is a small molecule BET inhibitor that is currently in
two Phase 1b clinical trials for the treatment of patients with cancer.

Under the terms of the agreement, Tensha’s shareholders will receive an
upfront cash payment of $115 million, plus additional contingent
payments of up to $420 million based on the achievement of certain
predetermined clinical and regulatory milestones. The transaction is
subject to customary closing conditions and anticipated to close in the
first quarter of 2016.

“BET proteins are a highly promising class of therapeutic targets in
cancer,” said James Bradner, MD, Founder of Tensha, Associate Professor
at Harvard Medical School, and Investigator at the Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute. “BET inhibitors function as targeted therapy in rare cancers
with BET gene rearrangements (NUT midline carcinoma), and in common
cancers as a means of inhibiting the function of the master growth
control genes, such as MYC.”

“We selected TEN-010 as a highly selective, potent BET inhibitor, and we
moved rapidly and strategically to advance its development,” said Steven
Landau, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Tensha and Director of Clinical and
Scientific Analysis for HealthCare Ventures. “Our initial clinical data
demonstrating the potential of TEN-010 in patients with NUT midline
carcinoma was presented at the AACR/NCI/EORTC conference in November.”

“We are very excited about this acquisition, as it moves TEN-010 into
the pipeline of a world leader in the development of novel cancer
therapeutics. With leadership in solid and hematological tumors and deep
understanding of BET biology, Roche is the ideal company to explore the
broad clinical potential of TEN-010,” said Douglas E. Onsi, Chief
Executive Officer of Tensha and Managing Director of HealthCare
Ventures. “We appreciate the work of the Bradner lab, the Tensha and
HealthCare Ventures employees, and the clinical teams at our trial sites
for their important roles in bringing TEN-010 to studies in patients.”

About BET Proteins

Bromodomain and extra terminal domain (BET) proteins are central
mediators of gene control and cellular memory. In cancer, BET proteins
activate growth and survival genes. Further, they contribute to cancer
cell memory by binding to the genome as molecular bookmarks. Tensha’s
Founder, James Bradner, MD, Associate Professor at the Dana-Farber
Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, was the first to recognize
the broad potential of BET inhibitors as anti-cancer agents. The Bradner
lab first reported BET inhibitors in 2010 in Nature magazine, and
established the potential of BET inhibitors in solid tumors and blood
cancers. With chemist Jun Qi, Bradner thereafter invented TEN-010, a
best-in-class BET inhibitor, for clinical development. BET inhibitors
function as targeted therapy in rare cancers with BET gene
rearrangements (NUT midline carcinoma), and in common cancers as a means
of inhibiting the function of the master growth control genes, such as
MYC. BET inhibition represents a new paradigm of targeting cellular
memory, or epigenetics, in cancer, inflammation, and fibrosis.

About Tensha Therapeutics

Tensha was founded based on discoveries from the laboratory of Dr. James
E. Bradner at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Tensha has been managed
and funded by HealthCare Ventures as part of its Focused Company
strategy, which has included Shape Pharmaceuticals (sold to TetraLogic
in April 2014), Adheron Therapeutics (sold to Roche in October 2015),
and Leap Therapeutics. For more information on Tensha, visit www.tenshatherapeutics.com.